Today I learned that not everyone helps the way you help.
Aaj thoda reality check mila. 😅
I recently joined a beverage manufacturing company in the Quality Assurance (QA) department. We work in rotating shifts (Morning, Afternoon & Night).
My father has glaucoma, and we had to visit a doctor in another city (almost a 2-hour journey) to fix the date for his eye surgery. Unfortunately, I was scheduled for the afternoon shift.
So I asked one of my seniors if he could swap shifts with me. He would do my afternoon shift, and I'd do his night shift. This way I could take my father to the hospital without using my paid leave.
The thing is... I've done the same for him 4–5 times in the last 3 months. Whenever he needed a shift change, I agreed without thinking twice.
This was the first time I needed his help.
His answer?
- "My wife is not well."
- "There's no one at home to make breakfast for my kids."
- "I can't come again after finishing my night shift."
At first, I accepted it. It sounded genuine. 🤷♂️
But later, a few colleagues told me something interesting...
Apparently, this is his pattern. He regularly asks others to adjust for him, but when someone else needs help, he always has a reason why he can't. Different situations... same outcome.
That honestly hurt more than I expected.
Now I've decided one thing:
I'll still help people, but I'll stop expecting the same in return. Helping someone should be a choice, not an investment expecting returns.
But I'm also wondering where the line should be.
Should I stop helping him in the future?
Or should I continue helping without expecting anything back? 🤔
Life really teaches you about people in the smallest moments.